The Zoom F1 is a very tiny, yet very versatile little guy. It’s a pocket-sized audio recorder which can be fed with everything from a lavalier mic to mono or stereo shotgun mics and even a mid-side stereo module and a dual XLR/TRS input module is available. Let’s have a look!
The pocket-sized Zoom F1 can do more than just record 24bit/96kHz sound from a lavalier mic, it actually features the same proprietary 10-pin connector which can be found on higher-priced Zoom audio recorders.
Zoom F1 Audio Recorder
There are two models available, but the only differences are the included accessories. This should prove the extreme versatility of the Zoom F1 recorder. You can choose between a lavlier equipped bundle or a kit with a shotgun mic. Zoom claims that all of their clip-on modules are compatible with the F1.
All seven (!) possible mics and modules which can be used with the Zoom F1.
Let’s have a look at the official videos made by Zoom in order to get an idea of how this tiny thing works. First up: Zoom F1 in conjunction with the lavalier mic attachment:
All the neccessary functions are laid out on the front of the unit, no deep menu-dives required. The Zoom F1 records up to 24bit/96kHz to WAV files or to various flavours of mp3. All recordings are written directly to a microSD card as a stereo file which can be edited in post easily. A handy lock switch prevents your talent from accidentally altering any settings while recording.
When using the Zoom F1 as a host for a shotgun mic, the situation is a different one. Now you can mount the unit directly to a DSRL for example and get both, internal recording and audio out to the DSLRs audio input. If that camera of yours lacks a headphone jack for monitoring audio, the Zoom F1 has got you covered, too! Watch the video below to see the F1 in action:
So we’ve got two different devices in one box here. Whatever you’re up to with the Zoom F1, it won’t let you down. With 2 AAA batteries you’re good to go for up to 10 hours of operation (with lavalier mic). Since the shotgun mic uses plug-in power, it will squash the batteries faster.
Features of the Zoom F1
In addition to the already cool features, the Zoom F1 has some more tricks up its sleeves. When using a micro USB cable you can connect it to your computer in either thumb-drive mode for data exchange or in audio-interface mode. With this special mode engaged you can record directly to your computer.
Another cool feature is the pre-record function. Two seconds of continuous recording can be buffered before even hitting the rec button. The 1.25″ monochromatic display is viewable even in direct sunlight. Check out the following list for a full rundown of the specs:
Two-channel audio recorder
Compatible with Zoom microphone capsules
Supports up to 24-bit/96 kHz audio in BWF-compliant WAV or a variety of MP3 formats
One-touch button controls
1.25” monochrome LCD display
Rec Hold function to avoid accidental operation of buttons
Stereo ⅛” Mic/Line In mini phone jack with Plug-in power (2.5V)
Stereo ⅛” Phone/Line Output jack with dedicated volume control
Built in limiter and auto level control to avoid clipping
Pre-Record function
Tone generator for calibrating audio levels between the F1 and a DSLR or video camera without the need for an attenuator cable
Sound marker function that outputs quick tone to make syncing audio and video easy
Records directly to micro SD and SDHC cards (class 4 or higher) up to 32 GB
​Micro USB port for data exchange to and from computer and use as an audio interface with computer or iOS device
​Runs on only 2 standard AAA alkaline, Lithium, or NiMH rechargeable batteries, or AC adapter (AD-17)
Up to 10 hours of operation with alkaline batteries (when using lavalier)
Pricing and Availability
There are two sets available. One comes with a lavalier mic, a lavalier clip and a belt clip. This set sells for $199.99 and should be available soon.
If you want to go run-and-gun with your DSLR, you should probably check out the other kit. That one comes with a SGH-6 mono shotgun mic module, a shockmount, a windscreen and a cable for connecting a DSLR. This kit sells for $249.99 and should be, again, available soon.
As per Zoom, every modules available can be attached to the F1, even though it’s not listed as a compatible device on their own product pages. Let’s see how the EXH-6 dual XLR/TRS combo input capsule works with the F1, for example. Hopefully it has enough power to drive the attached mics!
Links: Zoom (lav) | Zoom (shotgun)
Do you use any Zoom products? Share your experiences in the comments below!

The new Sennheiser ClipMic Digital is a lav for iOS that combines a high-quality Sennheiser microphone with the ease of use of your iPhone.
Sennheiser is a renowned manufacturer of microphones in the industry, with their AVX wireless mic system already a part of the arsenal of many shooters. Their new ClipMic Digital is a lavalier microphone that plugs right into your iOS device via the Apple Lightning connector, using your iPhone or iPad as both a recorder and preamp.
The Sennheiser ME 2 capsule
The Sennheiser ClipMic Digital system consists of the tried and trusted Sennheiser ME 2 lavalier capsule and an analogue-to-digital converter from Apogee, a manufacturer with a big name in the world of converters and audio interfaces. The system is hardwired, meaning it is one piece all the way from the microphone capsule to the Lightning connector – you can’t just unplug the microphone for use with your favourite wireless transmitter, for example.
Apogee AD converter
The free Apogee MetaRecorder app for iOS allows you to record 24-bit, 96kHz WAV or CAF files, as well as link up to four recording iPhones and control them from a master device. It even offers Apple Watch support.
Now to discuss the big elephant in the room. Although it is handy that the ClipMic Digital lav for iOS can work via the Lightning connector, the lack of a dedicated headphone jack in more modern iPhones means that it is not possible to monitor sound. While there are Lightning splitters such as this solution from Belkin, this device is designed to be able to use headphones while simultaneously charging your iOS device, so there is no indication that you could in fact monitor audio through one Lightning port while the Sennheiser ClipMic Digital is connected to the other. Also, by the time you add a splitter like this, you would be complicating what should be a sleek and simple solution. Of course, you could use the wireless Earpods or other Bluetooth headphones, but latency will probably render this solution useless but for the most simple of sound checks. So, for now it seems that this lav for iOS is best paired with the somewhat older iPhones with both a Lightning port and a headphone jack.
If you are a smartphone filmmaker, journalist or Vlogger, or if you are a DSLR/mirrorless shooter and suddenly need a third audio track — and you have a slightly older iOS device — then the Sennheiser ClipMic Digital lav for iOS could be a small, practical yet very high-quality solution to have in your arsenal.
The ClipMic Digital is available now for $199/€191. For more information, visit the product page.
Do you use your smartphone for any kind of audio-related uses in your productions? Could the Sennheiser ClipMic Digital lav microphone be for you? Let us know in the comments below.

The Saramonic UwMic10 UHF system was introduced a few weeks ago, promising a relatively low-cost dual wireless microphone solution ideal for DSLR shooters. Read on for our initial hands-on impressions.
The Saramonic UwMic10 (Amazon link) is not the first wireless microphone solution from this brand. In fact, I had come across the company name a while ago when researching what the market had to offer at the budget end of the spectrum. At around the $100 mark, their SR-WM4C didn’t have the best reviews out there, only offered VHF and, in general, looked a bit clunky for my taste.
But a couple of months ago, Saramonic released a couple of videos that hinted at a new product: a UHF wireless microphone system based around a dual channel receiver, an ideal solution for DSLR shooters limited to a single 3,5mm mic input on their camera. It also seemed to be priced very affordably at around the $300 mark for the basic kit. Needless to say, when the package arrived in the post a few days ago, I was very curious to see if the final product would deliver.
A first look out of the box revealed a set of two transmitters and a receiver, all very solidly built. Their metal enclosures sure seem like they could take a bit of a beating , and their weight is very reassuring. In fact, they’re just on the edge of being a little TOO heavy: at close to 250g each excluding the necessary 2 AA batteries, they weigh around 100g more than the famous Sennheiser G3 counterparts including batteries.
They are also slightly larger than the Sennheisser, but not as large as, say, the RodeLink system. One downside I found is that the removable battery tray is made entirely of plastic — and not the sturdiest kind — which doesn’t inspire me with confidence. Not only is it another piece of kit to keep track of, but if this small part breaks, then the entire unit goes down.
The Saramonic UwMic10 kit also includes:
Belt clips for all units.
Cold shoe adapter for the receiver.
3.5mm to 3.5mm curly cable with locking threaded jack.
3.5mm to XLR cable with locking threaded jack.
2x Lavalier mics with locking threaded jacks.
Setting up the system is very easy indeed. The TX transmitters can be assigned to Group A or B, each consisting of 96 different frequencies. Scrolling through the RX receiver menu reveals a number of general settings, as well as separate identical settings for Group A and B. One of these settings is Auto Scan, which will search for an available and clear frequency in that group. Once it has found one, scroll down to “Match with TX”. Grab the corresponding transmitter for that group and scroll down to “Match with RX”. Place the two near each other and they will sync via infrared transmission. Do the same for the other transmitter and you’re set.
Note that there is also a handheld wireless dynamic microphone, the HU10, which is also part of the UwMic10 wireless system family. Unfortunately, this wasn’t included in the kit. Also, the transmitter is integrated into the microphone, rather than being an independent XLR unit you can use with any mic.
A nice feature is that you can (and should!) turn off an individual frequency group when not in use to save battery. Also, its worth noting that you control audio levels only through the receiver, as opposed to the controls on both transmitter and receiver found on other systems. Levels are displayed as a number scale from 0 to 20, as opposed to a more standardised scale in dB.
Using the Saramonic UwMic10
What makes this such a handy unit for DSLR is the output mode option. The default Mono mode mixes both microphone signals on output. Stereo mode, however, routes each signal to the left and right channels independently, making sound editing in post a lot easier. This works great with the included stereo minijack cable, and thus for DSLRs… But the included XLR cable that just sums both signals to mono effectively reduces the usability of the product if you’re using a larger camera with XLR inputs. We used some adapters we had lying around the office to split the signal out of the RX into 2 mono RCA signals, and then using XLR adapters on them to plug into the 2 inputs of the camera. This does work, but is a bit of a long workaround for something that could work right out of the box if only the included XLR cable was a splitter instead of a simple adapter!
A quick test out in the street revealed that the Saramonic UwMic10 had a reach of around 70 metres before total dropout, which in my experiment meant a good 7 metres further than the Sennheiser G3. Very nice! Just for the “LOLs”, I also tried the RodeLink system, which cut off at around 55 metres.
Noise levels were acceptable throughout, perhaps just a tad noisier than the Sennheiser but providing more than adequate results. I was very pleasantly surprised.
It is also worth mentioning that since I wanted to keep the experiment as even as possible, I used the microphone included with the Saramonic with all units. This setup worked fine, but when doing further tests back in the office, I found that I would get no input if I tried other lavs with the Saramonic transmitter. If you have a favourite microphone you want to use with this system, it’s definitely a try-before-you-buy kind of situation. The included microphone is absolutely fine, perhaps not of the same cable quality as the Kevlar ones from the RodeLink, but it certainly doesn’t feel cheap by any stretch.
Conclusion
All in all, I was very pleasantly surprised with the Saramonic UwMic10 system. It does have some downsides — such as the slightly flimsy and plasticky battery tray, the lack of a solution that works out of the box if you want to use two XLR channels, and strange mic compatibility — but you definitely get quite a lot for the price. Not only is it a dual receiver system that will cut down on the expense and hassle of working with 2 wireless sources. It is also seems like a well-built product that looks, feels and sounds professional.
And yes, it does look like the Sony UWP-D11. A lot.
At the moment, the product is available on Amazon.com starting at around $300, with prices depending on the exact configuration you choose.
Note: A video review with audio will probably tell you more about the product than a written article. Due to a busy schedule this was not possible at the time, but we will use the Saramonic UwMic10 in one of our upcoming videos so you can check the quality yourselves. Watch this space!

The new Saramonic UwMic10 wireless line is the company’s latest addition to their wide catalogue of affordable audio solutions for DSLR/M shooters. One of their most popular products is the SR-AX100, a passive splitter that turns your camera’s stereo mic input to dual mono, and provides individual level controls for two 3.5mm inputs. This simple solution makes it easy to dial the levels of two powered sources, such as a wireless receiver and battery-powered shotgun microphone (like the Rode VideoMic Pro), a common setup for run-and-gun shooters.
Alternatively, it allows you to create a safety track at lower gain if you’re only capturing audio with one input. Saramonic also offers similar, battery-powered adapters with XLR inputs, like the SR-AX107.
Now, the company’s social media pages have started showcasing their new Saramonic UwMic10 wireless UHF range. Perhaps the most interesting of these is the dual channel TX10 receiver, which can accept two signals simultaneously. The receiver comes bundled with a single RX10 bodypack transmitter that accepts an included lavalier mic through what seems to be a locking 3.5mm jack: a nice touch. At $270, the bundle is certainly priced very attractively, considering it opens the possibility of a versatile two-channel wireless system without extensively (or expensively!) rigging up your camera.
Saramonic also offers the HU10, a dynamic handheld microphone with a built-in transmitter. There is also a plug version of the transmitter for use with your own XLR microphone, although it is unclear whether the unit will also provide phantom power. This would be a very useful feature to use, for example, with a condenser shotgun microphone on a boom.
As you can see, the sound quality seems to be adequate, offering a decent range without any audio dropouts. A compact setup like this would be ideal for a wide range of run-and-gun situations such as documentary, ENG, weddings and events.
The products are available for pre-order from Amazon.com at a highly reduced price, with a shipping date of March 1st. This means the Saramonic wireless line will be available just before Rode’s long-awaited Rodelink Newsshooter announced at last year’s IBC. The latest addition to the Rodelink series is an all-in-one 2.4 GHz digital signal system powerhouse, accepting XLR and 3.5mm, providing phantom power and compatible with NF batteries. It is available for pre-order from B&H with a mid-May estimated release date and will be priced very competitively, at least, when compared to the other big name in wireless microphones for video: the venerable Sennheiser AVX.
Will you be trying the Saramonic system?

The JuicedLink Little DARling is finally here. The compact audio recorder is very small—perfect for those looking for a fuss-free sound solution with the option to sync seamlessly between multiple devices.
First announced way back at NAB 2014, the Little DARling is a compact audio recorder. Powering off a single AA battery and recording to a micro SD card, the JuicedLink micro box is designed to work in tandem with a lavalier microphone (not included).
Using the detachable belt clip, you can easily conceal the Little DARling on your subject thanks to its slight form factor.
The unique selling point? At the flick of a switch, you can send a slate tone to every DARling in your wireless loop, offering the perfect sync point when you’re in the edit.
Compact Audio Recorder With Wireless Slate Tone
The wireless control contributed in large part to the delayed release of the Juiced Little DARling. The DAR-CMD-HHLR-433-MD Transmitter to be precise (catchy) connects to multiple Little DARlings at a time, with the ability to stop/start each of the devices as well as send a slate tone for the perfect sync point in post.
Picture this, you’re out shooting a documentary solo, and you have three subjects that interchange between your locations. You want decent audio for all three but don’t want/can’t facilitate the hassle of three wireless receiver packs feeding into your camera.
With four of these compact audio recorders, one for each of the talent and one outputting to the camera, you can capture independent audio from all three subjects, start/stop all devices remotely, and send a slate tone to each simultaneously so that you can quickly match up all audio sources in post.
This can be an excellent alternative to syncing audio in post with something like PluralEyes where the software relies on the audio sources to sound very similar; using a slate tone method means you can sync audio up that doesn’t depend on the same waveform (for example a conversation across a large room).
The JuicedLink Little DARling accepts audio via a locking 3.5mm input. It can run up to 12 hours on a single AA battery and provides plug-in power for typical lavalier microphones.
Full specification of the JuicedLink Little DARling
Audio Recording: Dual-Mono
Audio File: 16b/48KHz two track output on MicroSD
Redundancy Recording: Second safety track at 16dB lower
Audio Input: Locking 3.5mm threaded jack
Plug-in power: Yes
Pre-Amp: JuicedLink low-noise
Audio Output: Locking 3.5mm stereo threaded minijack
User Interface: Two 7-segment LED displays for menu settings and level meter
Power/Start/Stop: Recessed Button
Advanced Settings: Config File loaded on MicroSD
Power: Single AA battery (not included) up to 12 hours
Physical: Aluminum Enclosure
Weight: 2 ounces (without battery)
Dimensions: 2.8 x 1.9 x 0.93 inches
Mounting: 2 threaded holes/PEMs for mounting accessories (such as belt clip and 1/4-20 mounts)
While it’s not always ideal to record audio that you can’t monitor, sometimes a simplified on-set workflow takes precedence. The Little DARling ensures this method of audio capture retains easy to sync files in the edit, what’s more with the secondary -16db recording offers great redundancy for any surprise audio level spikes.